Doug Voss is a third-generation farmer from Paynesville, Minnesota, where he and his wife Beth are raising their five sons on the same land his grandparents began stewarding during the Great Depression. The farm was historically a dairy, but in 1999 Doug and his family certified it organic in search of more sustainable practices and healthier food. Along the way, Doug faced challenges that only hands-on farming can teach, lessons that deepened his conviction to work with-not against-nature.

Guided by mentors passionate about soil health, Doug has since transitioned all acres into perennial systems and adopted adaptive grazing practices. Today, the farm thrives with a grass-fed beef herd and a custom grazing enterprise. For Doug, these changes have brought not only ecological and financial improvements, but also something more profound: “peace of mind.”

Beyond his farm, Doug serves as Executive Director of the Soil Health Academy, collaborating with producers, landowners, and organizations across the country. He believes regenerative agriculture is more than a farming method—that it’s a unifying movement transcending operation types, reshaping communities, food systems, and ecosystems alike.

“I’ve seen firsthand how soil health changes everything-our land, our animals, our family’s future,” Doug says. “SHA gives me the opportunity to help others experience that same transformation.”

“Soil health touches every single person who eats and breathes. This work isn’t about one farm or one community – it’s about building a more nourishing, regenerative future for everyone.” – Doug Voss